How Local Moving Companies Adapted to COVID-19
For several months, Covid-19 has been part of everyone’s life. Businesses across the world have faced closure leaving their customers unaware of the future. For instance, people who’d booked moving services from various companies have had to remain stranded for months.
Moving from one state to another has been a challenge. Various states have imposed travel restrictions for anyone moving from a state reporting a high number of infections. That has made it difficult for local companies to move some of their clients.
Thankfully, the world is edging closer to normal as things start opening up in different industries. Even with that, businesses have to exercise a lot of caution as they resume operations. Moving companies are not an exception, and thus, they’re trying hard to adapt to the unfamiliar times.
Do Moving Companies Count as Essential Services
The federal government issued guidelines on public conduct as the virus surges. States, on the other hand, also issued guidelines including the classification of essential and non-essential services. You could be wondering where moving companies belong.
Transportation made it to the essential services lists of many states. Local moving companies fall under the broad transportation category and therefore count as vital services.
However, states keep updating their lists by adding and removing some businesses from it. The Wall Street Journal has the most up-to-date list of essential services. You can check it for surety before requesting a move.
Moving Companies Adapting During COVID-19
Like many other businesses, moving companies have changed how they do business. They have had to adapt to the World Health Organization’s directions on business conduct. Here are the changes undertaken by local moving companies during the pandemic.
• Social distancing
Health organizations have recommended physical distancing to mitigate person-to-person infections. Moving companies have had to implement that as they continue with their operations. There are various measures taken to ensure minimum physical contact between movers and clients.
For instance, moving companies request their clients not to participate in the move itself. They require that clients should pack all the items ready and move out of the premises. Movers come to load the items and call the client if they’ve any inquiries. That helps to maintain social distancing during moves.
• Reducing contact points
Moving companies have implemented contact minimization in various ways. Before the pandemic, the mover would visit a home or office to determine the work scope before making an estimate. The mover can now determine how much work they’ll do through a video call with the client.
Besides, they’ve had to reduce the paperwork involved in the process. The two parties can sign the contracts virtually to avoid meetings. These efforts have significantly helped mitigate the spread by reducing contact points between clients and movers.
• Other precautions
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces are other guidelines issued by the WHO. Moving companies have become hyper-vigilant about cleanliness to reduce the risk of infection. Some of the measures taken are the sanitization of trucks before loading and off-loading.
The movers must arrive at the client’s home fully dressed in protective gear. Besides, they request the client to allocate the moving team a separate bathroom. That makes it easier to disinfect it at the end of the day. These may look like the least things to worry about, but it is better safe than sorry for movers.
So, is it safe to move?
Canceling or postponing a move may not be an option for many says Germany-based man and a van service. For that reason, governments have classified these businesses as essential. Therefore, it is safe to move from one place to another in this age of Covid-19 as companies have put measures to protect you.
Having adapted to Covid-19, moving companies are also confident about their employees. With extra precautions such as isolation of workers, moving companies will continue to render services. It would be best if you asked about a moving company’s safety protocols before using their services.
